The silver moon kenelm c.., p.1
The Silver Moon (Kenelm Chronicles 02),
p.1
The Silver Moon
The Kenelm Chronicles
Book Two
By
Felicia Rogers
The Silver Moon
The Kenelm Chronicles, Book Two
Copyright ©2017 by Felicia Rogers
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
Contact Information:
Website: http://feliciarogersauthor.weebly.com
Email: feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.com
Published by:
Felicia Rogers
Cover Design by For the Muse Designs
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Other works by Felicia Rogers
Chapter One: Reflection
Chapter Two: Land
Chapter Three: Shore
Chapter Four: Town
Chapter Five: Women
Chapter Six: Rescue
Chapter Seven: Lost
Chapter Eight: Guidance
Chapter Nine: Spain
Chapter Ten: Home
Author’s Note
Excerpt from The Bronze Heart
Other works by Felicia Rogers
Stand alone works:
The Holiday Truce
A Month in Cologne
All I Have
Andrews Brothers
(Regency Romance)
The Ruse
The Rescue
Southern Hearts Series
(Southern Romance)
Millicent
Amelia
Cora
“Justice” and Miss Quinn Mysteries
(Regency Romance Novellas)
The Case of the Missing Cross
The Case of the Puppet Constable
The Case of the Secret Love
The Case of the Chinese Boxes
The Case of the Hidden Treasure
The Case of the Lost Island
The Kenelm Chronicles
(Regency Romance Novellas)
The Golden Goose
The Silver Moon
The Bronze Heart (2017)
Meaningful Numbers Series
(Inspirational Romance)
One of Forty
One of Twelve
One of Three
The Haywood Brothers
(Inspirational Romance)
Love For All (2017)
The Board Series by F. A. Rogers
(Southern Romance Novellas)
(Listed in order)
Maralie
Reuben
Vanessa
Simon
Darla
Daniel
Irving
Levi
Francesca
Benjamin
James
The Return to Eden’s Hollow
Hey diddle diddle,
The Cat and the Fiddle,
The Cow jump'd over the Moon,
The little dog laugh'd to see such Craft,
And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.
~Mother Goose Melody, 1765
Chapter One: Reflection
Kenelm Kennaway, captain of The Golden Goose, adjusted the ship’s heading. They’d been at sea for less than a sennight and they were no closer to the coastline.
Navigational charts, according to Reuld Duplay his sea artist, indicated they were twenty nautical miles from the nearest continent, but he had his doubts. The previous captain of The Golden Goose had obviously not expected to run aground on the island. Whether he’d traveled the river intentionally, going farther than prudent because of increased rain activity, wasn’t clear. What had been clear was the barrels of gold in the hold and the multitude of dead men beside them.
The wind picked up, and the sails billowed. Rose leaned against the railing at the end of the ship. Her brown hair fanned behind her. Being in her presence was like being around a magical creature. She was intoxicating.
She turned, her lips twitched into a smile, and she waved. Of course, he’d been caught staring. He’d done it often enough over the last five days. She was too thin. Dark shadows had formed under her eyes. And the pallor of her skin had a yellowish cast. She was wasting away before him, and there was nothing he could do about it.
The crew had done their best to salvage supplies before their departure. While some members cut logs others had hunted. The meat gathered had barely sufficed while on the island. And with no way to preserve the meat, it had been consumed quickly.
Lefty, his left-handed cook who refused to share any other moniker, had gathered what weeds he deemed edible, but some of those had made crew members sick.
The only thing the ship had provided a decent amount of was gold. If they ever found a village or a town they could easily trade, but until such time, all they had was fish. And with ten men constantly devoted to catching what they could, the take was still minimal.
“We must be approaching land.” Duplay repeated the statement at least five times a day. His normally perfect coiffured hair was in complete disarray. As was his clothing. The pale bluish-gray greatcoat only hung on one arm, the other arm flopped against his back. His stockings sagged around his ankles. A toe peeked through his left pointed-toed shoe.
The rest of his crew didn’t fare any better. Jones might have been the only one who still stood tall, although Kenelm had noticed a slight droop to his shoulders over the last day.
“Cap’n, we are running out of time.”
“Aye, I know.” And he did. He just didn’t know what to do about it. They’d followed the available charts. He’d calculated and recalculated their expected position, and his estimates hadn’t changed. They just needed to keep going forward.
He lifted his gaze. Now Rose stared at him. The usual brightness of her cocoa-colored eyes had faded. Perhaps if Evander had rescued her she would have been better off. He could have charmed Chief Duma into giving him a seat on the village council. Then he would have convinced all in attendance that providing his crew with supplies for a long journey was in their best interest.
Evander’s penchant for convincing people had been how they’d become friends. Mother had assumed it was because status begged it, but he disagreed. Evander had a way of telling a person that being his friend was the best for them, and it was impossible not to believe him.
Of course, Evander had gotten him into innumerable messes. Flirting with every woman in attendance at the celebration meant to entrap the person behind Polidor Tyrrel, for instance. Evander had started with Magnolia Quinn Blakemoor and not stopped until he hit every woman in attendance. How could he love Rose and behave in such a boorish manner?
The hand that touched his arm caused him to jump.
“Your frowning worries me. Have you discovered something new? Such as, that land is weeks away?”
She would note his worry lines. She paid way too much attention to his expressions, and in his current state, he wasn’t very good at hiding how he felt.
He lowered his chin to look upon the woman he loved. “Nothing so dire.”
“Then why?” She rubbed his forearm. Did she know what she was doing to him?
He looked away. Too much further study and he would kiss her. He couldn’t see the harm because he didn’t want to, but it had to be there. “M-my frown was for an entirely different matter.”
“Please tell me. I could use a distraction from the grumblings of my stomach.”
He withheld his groan. She was hungry. It was as he’d suspected.
“Have you had your portion of fish today?”
“The only thing the men caught was eel.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I declined.”
“Ah.” She had a finicky tongue for one of the higher class. Eel had been a delicacy in many households he’d visited. “Perhaps they will catch something more to your liking this afternoon.”
“Perhaps.” She continued to touch his arm.
Should he tell her his wayward thoughts about Evander? He preferred not to bring up her ex-suitor—especially while she touched him. Besides, what good could come of it?
It would be better to discuss how much he’d enjoyed kissing her the day they left the island. How he longed to do so again…
Now she made circular motions along his forearm. He would soon melt into a puddle. How could he get her to stop yet keep her doing it at the same time?
****
Rose could feel Kenelm’s muscles tense beneath her fingertips. Perhaps she shouldn’t be touching him in such an intimate manner, but she needed the comfort the touch provided. Each day she felt weaker than before. The lack of food was taking its toll. She wondered if Kenelm was becoming disgusted by her. Maybe he wanted to return her to Evander. She wouldn’t be surprised. Every time he was near her, he lost a ship.
“Do you think we’ll hit land soon?”
“I hope so.” His gaze remained focused out there.
She returned her arms to her side. The sigh pulled from her. “I’m sorry.”
He turned his head quickly. “Sorry? For what?”
“For bringing this mess upon you.”
He laughed. “You’re hardly the one at fault for my current predicament.”
“How can you say that? From the moment I boarde
He smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, a wide smile stretching his mouth. “Welcome, Trouble.”
She swallowed. Had he just said that to make her feel better? She hoped so.
She twisted her gown in her hands. “Where were you headed before Captain Harrow tried to steal your cargo?”
“I’d just made a journey to Spain and acquired fabrics for my employer, Mr. Necome. Instead of heading home, we decided to travel around Portugal and make land at Morocco. Some of the crew told stories of untold wealth in the mountains.” He looked out at the sea, his expression one of longing.
“I won’t say that a storm steered us off course. The wind arose, and I decided to push the ship to her limits.” A deep sigh rushed past his lips. “And we lost our way. I had almost given up hope of finding our position until your Captain Harrow tried to raid us. That fortuitous event brought many challenges and… blessings.”
He looked at her while saying the last word and her heart hammered in her chest. She’d never seen such raw emotions. Evander had never expressed anything so real as what she saw on Kenelm’s face. Even if she didn’t know what it meant.
“So you never made it to Morocco and your employer…”
“Has lost his goods to the sea, I fear. That is why we will travel north. My hope is to find a port to replenish supplies then continue on our way to Spain. There I’ll send word to my employer so that he can file claim on the lost fabrics and his ship and then we’ll head home to England.”
She tensed. She didn’t mean to, but it happened.
He grabbed her upper arms. “You don’t have to worry.”
“I-I’m not worried.” She bit her lip. It was a habit she must stop.
“Do not lie to me. I know when you’re worried.”
She moved from his grasp and placed her hands on her hips. “If you know so much about me, then what am I worried about? Hmm?” She didn’t want him to know, but she did. Sharing her burden might help to ease it.
“You’re worried that I will return you to Evander or your father. I’m not sure which, but I can promise you, I won’t allow you to go any place you do not wish to go.”
She nodded. She believed he believed every word he said. But when her father realized she’d returned, he would force the issue and she would be without hope. Perhaps she could ask Kenelm to leave her in Spain. That might work.
She opened her mouth and drew a breath. “If you—”
“Land! I see land!” Mr. Stevens who piloted the vessel was shouting and jumping up and down.
Kenelm picked up the spyglass and peered through it and then lowered it. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “We’ve made it, boys! Only a little longer now!”
All thoughts of Spain and escaping her father disappeared as Rose’s stomach growled in response to their potential rescue.
Chapter Two: Land
Rose awoke as the ship bounced and flung her from the berth. She’d slept in Kenelm’s quarters since arriving on The Golden Goose. The room was small so he’d agreed to sleep with the crew, even though she clearly surmised he wasn’t enthralled by the arrangement.
The cabin door was flung open. Kenelm stood outside, his shoulder-length hair blowing in the ocean breeze. He’d cut it after land had been spotted. He said he thought it was the reason for his problems. She didn’t mind. She liked it short. The wave in the strands made her fingers itch to touch it.
“The land is growing closer, but the waters—”
He didn’t have to tell her. The waves beat against the sides of the ship in a deafening manner. He’d raised his voice to be heard, and she did the same.
“Will we crash against the rocks?” She looked over his shoulder but couldn’t make anything out for the sea spray.
“Not sure yet. But you need to be ready to abandon ship if necessary.”
She nodded, but it didn’t matter. He was already focused on other matters.
Papers and maps littered the desk in his new quarters. She rolled them up. Next, she grabbed the velvet bag from a bottom drawer. If the ship was going down, it wasn’t taking her future with it.
She left the quarters and strode onto the main deck. Crew members ran to and fro securing rigging. Orders were given to move the canons to the interior of the ship and to close the hatches.
Leaning against the rope railing, she just made out the green foliage of land. No mountains dotted the horizon. The landscape seemed flat but filled with trees. Inhabitants didn’t stroll across the sandy beach. In fact, it seemed devoid of life.
The wind shifted, and she stepped back, grasping the railing more firmly. Another gust struck. An arm wrapped around her middle, and she was pulled backward against a muscular chest.
“Stay away from the railings, dear.”
The scent of musk assaulted her senses, and she drew it in. She rolled to face him. It was the closest they’d been since they boarded the vessel. Even with the wind whipping her gown around her legs and her feet feeling unsteady, she still picked up a strand of his hair and ran it through her fingers
“I like it.”
He moved her hand and held it over his heart. “I’ll be delighted to discuss the things you like about me as soon as we’ve made landfall. For now, please come stand with Jones and myself.”
He held her hand and led her to the helm. Jones and Stevens were close by. Kenelm lingered at her side even as he navigated.
The ship tilted wildly from side-to-side. Kenelm’s hand tightened on her waist.
“Are we going to make it?” The wind carried her voice so she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her.
His hot breath struck her ear. “We will. One way or the other.”
The other was what worried her.
They headed toward the shoreline. Stevens yelled, “Drop anchor!”
The ship jerked as the large metal apparatus struck bottom. Still the wind whipped around them and flung them erratically. It would need to die down before a dinghy could go ashore.
It felt like hours passed before the winds ceased and Kenelm ordered the crew to prepare two dinghies.
“You wait here—”
“Absolutely not.” She placed her hands on her hips for added effect.
Kenelm’s face fell. “Is this where you want to part ways?”
“Of course not. I-I would just rather be with you. And perhaps find a place to take a bath and maybe purchase a new gown.” The green gown had frayed on the edges, and she’d ripped it. The uneven hemline made her look like a fairy.
He ran his knuckle over her cheek. She turned into it and he cupped her face. A sigh parted her lips. Then the warmth was gone. Shouts echoed across the ship. A wave, higher than the vessel, loomed. Even if the anchor held, some of the crew might be thrust overboard.
“Hold on!” Kenelm’s voice came as the first wave struck and she was lifted off her feet.
****
He should have been paying more attention to the weather than his bride. Her soft, bronzing yellowish skin had glowered in the summer sun like brilliant amber, and he’d admired it. Much longer and he might have lost his crew.
While she’d been rambling about her desires to go ashore, he’d secured her to the mooring. That line was the only tether she had as water rushed over the side of the ship and lifted her off her feet. Her mouth twisted as the line caught her wrist. Hopefully, her arm wasn’t loosed from its socket.
Men screamed as water carried them overboard and into the waves crashing on the rugged shoreline.
The next wave struck. If the assault continued, they would be forced to lift anchor and take their chances.
The Golden Goose was a sturdy ship. The Chinese junk hauler was well sealed. It could withstand heavy winds and rains, but the current onslaught might prove overwhelming.
Rose crashed to the main deck and wrapped her arms around the main mast. Decisions needed to be made soon or people would die, if they hadn’t already.
Rose was pointing and gasping.
He turned and looked. Then ocean foam raced over his boots. His heart hammered in his chest. He was on the quarterdeck which meant the main deck had been swamped. His turned back to look where he’d tethered Rose. He couldn’t breathe.
